The installation of electrical wiring circuits, controls and outlets in the original construction or renovation of an office or dwelling involves numerous steps, some of which are contingent upon the performance and completion of other construction tasks. Specifically, the installation of electrical service in a newly-constructed room typically involves several stages. After the wall framing is erected, the electrician installs the in-wall junction boxes which will house the electrical components (e.g., switches, outlets, lighting fixtures, etc.), and runs the distribution cables from a main power circuit-breaker panel to and through the various electrical boxes in each circuit (e.g., through a switch box to its controlled outlets or light fixture boxes). The next stage is mounting each electrical component into its box and connecting its terminals to the proper wire of the distribution cables, and then attaching a permanent ornamental cover plate over the box and electrical components, leaving the switch post or outlet receptacle exposed for access.
It is often not feasible to complete all of the electrical installation stages during one phase of the room construction. If the electrical components (switches, outlets, etc.) are installed in the wall boxes prior to dry-wall seaming, plastering, painting and/or wallcover hanging, the electrical components have to be masked to prevent paste, plaster, sanding dust or paint from impinging in and on the components. Consequently, wall finish and painting is typically performed after the wires have been strung to the boxes, but prior to the installation and connection of the electrical components. That is, the electricians work is interrupted after the boxes are installed and the wires run thereto, and they must wait for the walls to be finished before returning to complete the wiring of the room.
If an electrician is working on only a few rooms in one building, or if the detailed wiring drawings are correctly updated, later completion of wiring is usually routine. However, if an electrician is involved in numerous projects or the delay in returning is long, it may be difficult for him to recall the wiring layout. It is also not uncommon that changes are made to the electrical layout during construction without the wiring diagrams being properly updated. Since the wires are now covered by the walls, the electrician must then spend a considerable amount of time redetermining the wiring configuration. For example, he may have to redetermine which wires leading to a box are to be controlled by a particular switch.
A need therefore exists for an inexpensive apparatus for protecting an electrical component from the impingement of dust, plaster, paste or paint during room surface finishing, thereby permitting the installation of the electrical components prior to room surface finishing.